FreeDOS Kernel Notes

On this page...

Todo

• look through dev kernel for more changes to merge into stable kernel
• see Blog.Jerm

Released kernels:

• 2035, by last official maintainer Bart Oldeman
• 2035A, by interim maintainer Jeremy Davis
• 2036, compiled 2006/07/26 or later, this one will be the FreeDOS 1.0 kernel
• 2037, the latest unstable kernel revision

These kernels have the following features:

• FreeDOS specific menu system in config file
• 8086 support (succesfully verified on PicoXT emulator)
• FAT12 and FAT16 support
• FAT32 support, may be compiled out if desired
• DOS version (faked M$-DOS version) numbering support:
  • fat32: 7.10
  • fat12/16: 5.00

Development kernels:

• 2035B-CVS, daily builds by Jeremy Davis. Much like 2035A
• 2035W-CVS, daily builds by Jeremy Davis
• 2037, uploaded on ibiblio

Currently has the following additional features:

• Improved support for l10n (country, NLSFUNC, MODE, CHCP)
• Windows 3.1 support
• More stuff.

Just to remember:
l10n = localization (country-specific settings such as how to represent numbers, dates, money, ...). Specific to kernel, drivers and applications that support it.
i18n = internationalization (translations), application / distribution specific instead of something kernel specific

How I do I build the kernel?

If you want to have a custom script, just make a custom.bat with below mentioned parameters and a CALL command: @CALL BUILD.BAT LIST 186 FAT32 /D WIN31SUPPORT On Windows, it's wise to end this custom.bat file with a PAUSE command.

I build the kernel a lot (sometimes several dozen times in a row when testing), but most of the time I use the Dev kernel and the command line of:

• where build of course initiates the compiling and other steps to generate a working kernel (compile, link, optionally compress, statically relocate)
• list causes the assembly files to generate a listing (output file that shows original source, line #s, and generated bytes)
• 186 causes the compiler to generate code for 80186 or newer computers (slightly smaller code but still runs on my 286 based computers)
• fat32 enables support for FAT32 filesystem (all kernels have FAT12 and FAT16 support)
• /D WIN31SUPPORT enables windows 3.x to run (really need to add win option to build.bat)

What I am currently working on

• Windows 3.1 enhanced and DOS boxes support
• currently my dev kernel has fnodes removed and uses SFTs, but it has some bugs I need to work out before committing

Future plans

• create an IFS (Installable File System) kit based on RIFS
• use the IFS kit to support Lean filesystem - http://freedos-32.sourceforge.net/showdoc.php?page=leanfs
• NTFS support
  • use IFS kit for general support, based on Linux NTFS project
  • add boot time support - add hook to kernel so can use boot sector(s) NTFS load support to load IFS NTFS version
  • resources: Linux NTFS project, Reactos NTFS (relsoft.net)

other probably non FreeDOS stuff on my todo list

• czar
  • fix multiple processor support for syscall redirector
  • work on syscall implementations

• AbiWord
  • native win32 libs
  • new msvc makefiles to avoid breaking MinGW build or change to use build
  • update plugin API to use COM-like api (use pure virtual base classes and similar layout so any Win32 C++ compiler can be used to create plugins and perhaps other programming environments)

• fdos
  • commit something
  • finish updating ...

• atapicdd
  • finish cdrom driver portion
  • write ASPI over ATA / ATASPI portion

• pdtree
  • rewrite so doesn't use so much memory

• win32 on DOS
  • play with WDOSX and HXDOSX, see about using for Abi, etc. on DOS